Article by Fr. Gary Laurenstein, C.Ss.R.
On Sunday, March 4, 2012, the North American Interprovincial Novitiate Board met at 426 St. Germain for its semi-annual gathering. The North American Interprovincial Novitiate has been in existence since 1996, previously located at Villa Redeemer in Glenview, IL. Since 2010, it has been located at the Provincial House in Toronto. The Board gathers to direct and oversee the progress of the Novitiate. It is made up of the major superiors of the participating units: Edmonton-Toronto, Yorkton, Baltimore, Denver, Richmond, and the English-speaking Caribbean. Because the Novitiate is in Toronto, the Superior of the Edmonton-Toronto Province is automatically Board Chair (and, as the photo on the left shows, also cook for the day).
Special guests at this Board meeting were: the Coordinator of the North American Conference, Fr. Jack Kingsbury; a representative from Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre, Fr. Pierre Bach; and a representative of the Dublin Province, Fr. Peter Burns. Dublin has a novice with us this year.
Clockwise, from top left: Fr. Kevin Moley, Superior of
the Baltimore Province; Fr. Jack Kingsbury, Coordinator
of the North American Conference; Fr. Gary Lauenstein,
Director of Novices; Fr. Peter Burns, representative of the
Dublin Province; Fr. Mark Miller, Chair of the Board;
Fr. Raymond Douziech, Assistant Director of Novices
Clockwise, from lower right: Fr. Raymond Douziech,
Assistant Director of Novices; Fr. Harry Grile, Superior
of the Denver Province; Fr. Larry Kondra, Superior of
the Yorkton Province; Fr. Pierre Bach, representative for
the Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre Province; Fr. Kevin Moley,
Superior of the Baltimore Province.
Included in the occasion was a festive dinner on Sunday evening, to which special guests Fr. John Sianchuk and Bishop John Pazak were invited. Fr. John Sianchuk happened to be giving a Mission at Holy Eucharist parish in Toronto (a former parish of the Yorkton Province) and Bishop John Pazak is Eparch of the Slovak Byzantine Rite Eparchy of North America and he is a Redemptorist. Other community members, such as Brother Raymond Pierce and the novices, were also present for a thoroughly-enjoyed dinner.
Clockwise, from bottom left: Fr. Harry Grile, Superior
of the Denver Province; Fr. John Sianchuk of the
Yorkton Province; Fr. Peter Burns, representative to
the Board from the Dublin Province; Fr. Gary
Laurenstein, Director of Novices; Fr. Raymond
Douziech (standing), Assistant Director of Novices;
Fr. Larry Kondra, Superior of the Yorkton Province;
Brother Ray Pierce Bishop John Pazak, visiting on this occasion.
